Grain-separator



NITE STATES- ATENT trice.

BENJAMIN D. SANDERS, or WELL-Senne, WEST VIRGINIA.

GRAINY-SEPARATOP..

Specification forming part. of Letters Patent No. 42,409, dated April19, 1864.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN D. SANDERS, of Wellsburgh, countyot'Brooke, State ot'West Virginia, have invented a new and usefulInlprovement in GrainSeparators; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full,-

clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through my improvedseparator. Fig. 2 isa horizontal section through the machine, takenfront view of the lower end of the suction-l Similar letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in the several igures.

This invention relates to an improvement in winnowing'grain, and has forits object the more perfect subjection of the grain to currents of airpassing throughit, as it falls from one receptacle to another in itspassage through the machine, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the frame which supports thefancase and one end ot' the trunk. B is the cylindrical fan-case,opening externally at one side through the eXhaust-spouta. (Shown inFigs. l and 2.) The rotary suction-fans b are secured to the verticaldriving-shaft c within the fancase, and this shaft may be driven by abelt passing around pulley c or by any other convenient means.

The fan-case B has a large opening through its upper end, whichcommunicates with the several compartments in the partitioned trunk U,as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The opening through the top of the fan-caseis provided with sliding-valves c2 c2 c2, which are used for partiallyclosing one or more of theJ compartments in the trunk` for the purposeof regulating the force of the currents through the Same, as will behereinafter described.

The bottom of the horizontal portion of the trunk G is inclined so as toform a. spout, D, for the reception of the heaviest Substances drawn upfrom the grain, which'it is desired to collect according to theirdifferent qualities. The angle or lowest point of this 4spout D hasperforations e through it corresponding to each division of the trunk,which perforations prevent substances from collecting in the spout. rlheiiap-valves el, which are used to close this spout, open outward andprevent the influx of air into it, at the same time allow foreignsubstances to escape at proper times.

These parts may all be constructed and arranged as described by me in myformer patents, or in any other suitable manner whereby my invention maybe carried into effect.

The end ot' the subdivided trunk C which is opposite the fan-casecommunicates with a vertical spout, G, which is also divided intocompartments corresponding in number to and communicating with thetrunlrcompart ments, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

One side of the spout Gr is carried down so as to rest upon the iloorand form` a support side of this spout does not extend down so far by aconsiderable distance. rI`he partitions gg', as Well as the two sidesrr,just referred to, are arranged and put together so that thecompartments or passages h h /Lzwill be contracted at their lower endsand `enlarged at their upper ends in conformity with the trunkpassages,for the purpose of obtaining the greatest force of the currents of airat the lowest end ofv each compartment, where the winnowing of the graintakes place.

A perforated bottom hopper, 7c, is arranged beneath the shortestpassage, h, and inclined so as to empty its contents through the openingt' in partition g, into or on the perforated hopper l, which is arrangedbeneath the next passage, h', and inclined in such manner as todischarge its contents through an opening, n, intothe passage IL?, whichis the long s of the three passages, as shown in Fig. 4. lhe

first hopper, 7c, receives the grain as it pours from the primary hopperH through an opening, p and thus it will be seen that the grain, leavingthe hopper H, will be carried successively through the sides of all theascending passages of the spout G, and finally discharged from thebottom of the longest passage, h2, thereby subjecting the grain tosuccessive independent blasts ot' airin its passage through the machine.The two sides s s of the spout G do not project down farther than therespective passages which these sides close; and the hoppers 7c l beingarranged la short distance below their respective passages, it

vwill be seen that the body of air entering thesepassages will ilow overthe hoppers, as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 4 and 5, and thus thecurrents of air will not bev obstructed in any manner by the hopperswhich are used as (onductors of the grain from one suction-passage toanother across the spout G.

In using a screen extending across the bottom ofthe spout G, where theentire body of air entering the spout must pass through its perforationsor meshes, I have found that the chaif and other foreign substances areblown, or rather drawn up against the bottom of this screen in suchquantities as to obstruct the free passage of air into the compartments;but in the present arrangement I am enabled to subject the grain to theaction of one or more unobstructed suction-passages, and to conduct theair over the hoppers and directly through the grain as it tiows from onepassage to another without first passingit through a scieen. Y

I have described the hoppers which receive the' falling grain andconduct it into a series of suction-passages, as being made of wovenwire or perforated plates; but instead of using perforated hoppers I amenabled by my invention to employ imperforated hoppers and to effect thewinnowing of grain equally as well, by making the spaces between thesehoppers and the ends of their respective suctionpassages somewhatgreater than is required in the use of perforated hoppers. This willa'low all the air which is drawn into the lower ends ot' the severalsuction-passages to rush over the hoppers and directly through thefalling grain 5 but where perforated hoppers" are employed they can bearranged closer to the mouths of their respective suction-passages, andthus obtain good results in a colnparatively small vertical space, theforce of the air passing through them not being sufficient to draw up orretain any foreign substances in contact with their bottoms.

I have used the term hopper7 in referring to the inclined planes 7c andl, which receive the grain from the rst hopper H, and submit n it to thecurrents of air ilowing through the several suction passages, becauseeach one of these hoppers forms a distinct receiver and feeder forconduct-ing the grain in ,its different sta gesof purity to itsrespective suction-pas sage.

The grain is first introduced into the primary hopper H, from which itflows into thel tirst suction-passage, h, and falls through theascending blast into the lirst secondary hopper, 7c, thence into thesecond passage, h', and downiuto hopper Z, from which it is dischargedinto the passage h2. Thus it will be seen that the severalsuction-passages of the spout G are each provided with a distincthopper,form ing, as it were, several distinct and independent machines unitedtogether in such manner that the grain is conducted successively throughall of them. The spoilt G being divided by its partitions intocompartments, eachone of which communicates with the fan-case, the forceof the suctionblast through each compartment can be regulated by meansof the slides c2, according to the different grades submitted to eachcompartment, and thusthe different qualities of the foreign substancesextracted from the grain can be obtained from the correspondingcompartments in the spout D of the trunk.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Constructing the spout G with two or more passages varying in length,Whether said passages be enlarged upward or are of equal dimensionsthroughout, substantially as and fort-he purposes described.

2. So constructing and arranging a spout j from the highest hopper fallsupon a lower ,j

hopper, and in its passage from the different hoppers is acted upon byseparate blasts of air in the different passages of the spout,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. So arranging perforated or imperfora-ted hoppers With respect to oneanother and the -termini of the passages of the spout that anunobstructed passage above the hoppers for theliow of air into the endsof the passages otl spout G is obtained, subtantially asI and for thepurposes set forth.

6.` A separating-machine having a spout and hoppers constructed andoperating so as to control the grain and air, substantially in themanner set fort-h.

B. D. SANDERS.

Witnesses:

R. T. CAMPBELL, E. SCHAFER.

